BearFan PHX

I didnt think anyone meant that if we got another good receiver we'd have twice as many offensive plays. Anyway it doesnt matter, the math of it isnt whats important - whats important is that I agree with AZ54 that there is a huge need for another dominant WR in our offensive roster, and it would multiply the effectiveness of everyone else too. High functioning famous offenses always have had (at least) two great WRs. And of course we all agree on this. I think Poles will get us one in the offseason. I think we all expect that. QB(?), WR2, Edge2, OC, FS, TE2, 3T, LT, RG - in no particular order, and that's not too long of a grocery list that Poles cant fill a lot of it this offseason.

We can probably pick up Daniels a little lower than #1, get something for the trouble. But your point that you dont want Williams is sounding right to me right now. I can say this - assuming Williams doesnt end up a Bear, after all the things hes said and done, i will passionately root against him for his entire career.

This is the right kind of thinking.

no doubt adding another quality receiver will increase the passing output. First off it makes the guy that caught 1300 face fewer double teams. Im not sure you can just double 1,300 yards though. For example if Fields completion percentage is above 50%, then youd be attributing over 100% completions then. But that math nitpick aside, youre absolutely right that this offensive roster is begging for another impact receiver, and that would make everything better across the board. We need OL help too!

oh yeah, I'm not looking for blame - just more positive evidence that Fields has the skill set we need. I want to be sure I think keeping him is a good idea. Im trying to sell myself on it, but Im gonna be cynical of numbers because of his unorthodox style. Im not counting the times things went wrong, Im looking for evidence of him doing the pocket passer in rhythm after the first 15 plays thing more. Plays where he completes a ball from the pocket - especially not to the sideline, less than 3 seconds after the snap.

The thing I love most about football is how every single thing is a multiplier for every other single thing. It's the greatest team sport, multidimensional riddle - it makes it fun to watch. And when you start stacking good things, it takes on momentum and every ability becomes intensified. Thats when you start to dominate.

That's probably measuring Fields' legs? Im actually surprised it isn't higher, given all the 3rd downs he finds a way to escape and make something happen? And you know, Ive been diminishing those amazing extra things because of a lack in core skills, but if the core skills are indeed developing, then those amazing extra things will really start to play dividends. Imagine having to take a guy out of coverage as a spy against a good pocket passer. Now the defense is truly screwed. Blitz, and he evades or makes fast hot reads, play coverage and he runs, spy and his reads just got easier.

To play Devils Advocate, we are tied when the game begins and Fields is in his scripted plays. Can you do tied only in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters? or maybe broaden it to tied or within 4 points either way and not the first quarter?

That was the question "can he improve?" and I hadnt seen anything much that said he would - he was already maxxed out at the things he does, and i wasnt seeing any of the things he doesnt (didnt). This past game was new, and provides new answers to that question.

Happy New Year to you too! I'm not saying that Justin missed some open guys in the past sometimes. I'm saying he almost NEVER had drops at tempo, went through his reads and got the ball out to the open receiver. Not that he sometimes missed it, but that he almost NEVER did that. Which was really disturbing - and why it disqualified him in my eyes despite all his other amazing positives. And then over the last few weeks he did it maybe once or twice a game (not counting scripted drives) and I said "OK hes doing it a little, but at this rate he'll be 50 before he puts it together" And then this week, it was something I had never seen from him before. The drops had urgency for the FIRST time ever. They were not late. Remember when Dexter was late off the line on every snap in preseason, and had been in college etc? There wasnt a single snap where he was across the line of scrimmage at the same time as everyone else. But then it slowly got better. One week he got 20% of them then 30% and in the second half of the season, hes been on time the whole time. Well Justin's drops were like Dexters get off. They were late. They were wrong. ALL of them. Suddenly today, they were all on time for the first time Ive ever seen it. It was impossible. It went from never to always like that. I dont know what to say. Maybe hes mad. Maybe he is fighting for his playing life. I dunno, but suddenly it was like it mattered, like the building was on fire and you had to go NOW. And as surprised as I was, I wasnt going to try to throw cold water on it so that I could keep being right about everything Id said about him before. I had to admit that THIS was what I had been complaining about, and suddenly it was correct. And not just the drops. He hit the back of his drop and got the ball out. Maybe not Bagent fast (which has its own problems) but certainly in tempo. Receivers were in their breaks and the ball arrived. I had seen a little of that in the past few weeks, one or two plays each week, but this was consistent. And suddenly balls are being thrown to the middle of the field, and caught in stride. And Yards after the catch too! None of this is about any rollouts, screens or throws after running. All of that has been pretty good all along. But just taking his drop. Making his read. Looking off the safety! What?! And getting the ball out on time. This isn't something hes been doing all along that Getsy wasn't giving him. This was new. And the rhythm of the drops - that's BRAND NEW. Never saw it from him once before. Now its a whole game. So I have to completely reevaluate my feelings about him now. I wish we had 4 more games left to see it consistently. But everything Ive been criticizing Fields for was good this week. Maybe not A+ timing, but certainly a B, and that is good enough to win in the NFL, especially with everything else he brings to the table.

all of those are cool, and necessary in the gameplan, but Fields has done that and executed it well before too. Im talking about the throws in rhythm from the pocket. They were much much better today than ever before, and his drops had more tempo than Ive ever seen from him before too. He is growing. He was not this guy before. If people didnt understand what I was complaining about before, maybe they wont understand what Im talking about now, but at the least, you see that my belief has changed, and it was because something was different with Justin today.

Fields is a unique player. His style is unorthodox to be sure. Stats will never really tell his story good or bad. You gotta watch the tape to see it all in context. Fields has had better games statistically than the one he had today. But none was more important than this one in showing what his future might be. He had some real WOW plays too, and that's what most will take from this. But the most significant plays he made were 10 and 20 yard passes that didnt include heroic scrambling, or diving acrobatic catches. He played QB today. The first pass to DJ Moore, the post to Moore later in the game, both looked "easy" in that he was just executing in tempo. And those are the plays that will make the difference for Fields and whatever team has him. That TD to Moore in the corner was beautiful too. The long ball was beautiful. But the efficient regular passes were the most significant to me. That was a line he hadn't crossed yet. They may be like 50 yards and a few completions on the stat sheet. But they were monumental in signalling his growth and future. I was not expecting that from Fields at all, and it is very welcome to see. I'll say this too - his drops were better. He always looked like a sullen teenager who just got in trouble, kinda slinking around at half speed. "Do I HAVE to" body language. Today he was crisp. He looked like a real QB out there.

its not a bandwagon - Fields did stuff today he just hasn't really done at all before. it certainly opened my eyes to what is possible with him. I didnt think one game could change my mind, but he went from 0 to like 70% in one jump. Its such a small sample size, Im still reluctant, but if he does it again next week, although it wont be ideal or certain, I could see bringing him back next year, and skipping the rookie QB. Anyone calling in today after this performance and complaining about him is silly. If that's a bandwagon, then yeah, those fools can ride it. And it wasnt the big plays today, although they were great to see, or the amazing scrambles that have me thinking - he always did that stuff. It was the urgency in his footwork on his drops, looking off safeties and getting the ball out on time. Not as sexy as the big plays, but that's the stuff Ive been talking about as being lacking all along, and when I finally do see it, theres no reason to pretend I didnt! Am I in camp keep Fields now? i dunno, but Im certainly open to it now. I cant believe one game could change my mind like that, but I didnt expect such a jump in everything so abruptly. And I surely saw it today.

The TV says we are still in the playoff hunt. Is that possible?

that was classic

Carolina lost, so we have the #1.

I hate making big decisions on the basis of two games, but Fields went from no pocket rhythm to a lot of it. If he looks that complete next week too, Ill be nervous, but Id understand that for sure.

hes always been a magician at that stuff. its amazing.

True, but good teams keep a 2 score cushion so stuff like that doesnt affect the outcome and... Oh look! We're up by two scores. Who IS this team?

totally but it was unnecessary on Patrick's part too.

update: Patrick still sucks

OK. D has to close it out. Fields has to close it out. And the coaches need to not get too safe.

for sure. he already defensive back coach and defensive passing game coordinator. My guess is they wanted him to have more time to work with the rookies, and the results of that have been good - but next year? If they keep Flus, Hoke would be a good DC.

I can live with some turnovers and stuff. No QB is perfect. What has been lacking was this pocket tempo, and thank God we finally see it.

I would take Fields as he is today over WIlliams. Can I trust that Fields will be like this going forward? No I cant. But I had never seen him do it before. I would even say the flashes we saw didnt have this urgent tempo - Fields' drops had the urgency of a 13 year old being asked to clean their room. It was always dragging, lazy, not in it to win it. Today is different. It's nothing Ive seen before from him. So Ill say again - Im not a hater, I dont have a negative narrative Im rooting for. I just see what I see, and today is everything Ive worried about, turned around.